Drains in Happy Valley

Happy Valley

From farm district to family suburb

Happy Valley sits 20 km south of the city in the City of Onkaparinga. By 1866 it was wheat and vine country, and the original township was moved when the reservoir was built in the 1890s. Happy Valley became a subdivision name in 1959, subdivision pressure grew through the 1970s, and by 1983 the council had taken the suburb's name. In 2021 it had 11,420 residents, and 59.2% of homes had three bedrooms.

Homes from the 1960s and 70s often drain through earthenware or early PVC, and later homes through PVC. Earthenware joints let roots in, especially near the native vegetation and parklands the suburb has kept, and Adelaide's reactive clay moves those joints with each wet winter and dry summer. Newer PVC lines block more from fat and wipes. We find out which you have, then clear or repair it.

• On a three-bedroom home from the 1970s, the overflow gully usually sits outside near the laundry or kitchen. Know where yours is, so you can check it when the toilet gurgles.
• Wipes labelled flushable still block sewers. Keep them out of the toilet, especially on an older earthenware line where the joints catch debris.
• Before you lay new paving or a pergola in the backyard, have the drain line located so it stays reachable for clearing later.